Page:History of Greece Vol XI.djvu/528

 502 HISTORY OF G have credited the imputation. The two Athenian geneials Chares and Lysikles, both escaped from the field. The latter was afterwards publicly accused at Athens by the orator Lykur- gus a citizen highly respected for his integrity and diligence in the management of the finances, and severe in arraigning political delinquents. Lysikles was condemned to death by the Dikastery. 1 What there was to distinguish his conduct from that of his col- league Chares who certainly was not condemned, and is not even stated to have been accused we do not know. The memo- ry of the Theban general Theagenes 2 also, though he fell in the battle, was assailed by charges of treason. Unspeakable was the agony at Athens, on the report of this disaster, with a multitude of citizens as yet unknown left on the field or prisoners, and a victorious enemy within three or four days' march of the city. The whole population, even old men, women, and children, were spread about the streets in all the vio- lence of grief and terror, interchanging effusions of distress and sympathy, and questioning every fugitive as he arrived about the safety of their relatives in the battle. 3 The flower of the citizens of military age had been engaged ; and before the extent of loss had been ascertained, it was feared that none except the elders would be left to defend the city. At length the definite loss be- came known : severe indeed and terrible yet not a total ship- wreck, like that of the army of Nikias in Sicily. As on that trying occasion, so now: amidst all the distress and alarm, it was not in the Athenian character to despair. The mass of citizens hastened unbidden to form a public assembly, 4 wherein the most energetic resolutions were taken for defence. Decrees were past enjoining every one to carry his family and property out of the open country of Attica into the various strongholds; directing the body of the senators, who by general rule were ex- 1 Diodor. xvi. 88. 2 Plutarch, Alexand. c. 12 ; Deinarchus adv. Demosth. p. 99. Compare the Pseudo-Demosthenic Oratio Funebr. p. 1395. 3 Lykurgus adv. Leokrat. p. 164, 166. c. 11; Deinarchus cont. Demosth, p. 99. 4 Lykurgus adv. Leokrat. p. 146. Teyevrjfj.iv^ yap rl^ sv XaipuvEip KO.I avvSpafibvTuv UTTUVTUV vfiuv elf fKK^r/aiav, eipqQiaaTo 6 dfj/4O{ t un 1 KCU }i icu/iur EK riJv uypijv eif TU Tfi^rj KaraKouifciv, etc.